According to the
Internet Movie DataBase, David Caruso is 5' 11½" (1.82 m), Adam Rodriguez is 6' 1" (1.85 m), Jonathan Togo is 5' 11" (1.80 m), Rory Cochrane is 5' 10" (1.78 m), Emily Procter is 5' 3" (1.60 m), Eva LaRue is 5' 7½" (1.71 m), Rex Linn is 6' 4" (1.93 m), and Sofia Milos is 5' 8" (1.73 m). The production team probably wants the star of the show to tower above some of the taller costars.
About the sunglasses, the following was posted by
hamstermoon in “The Did You Know Thread”:
Here's something I occasionally come on here and mention ... not done it for some time so I thought I might explain again ...
Mr Caruso has an esotropic hypotropic form of strabismus in his right eye ...
For the uninitiated that means he can't look straight at someone or down at them without his right eye sliding inwards and giving him double vision.
His hyperopia (far-sightedness) doesn't really help (reading glasses do though) and for Horatio to manage (as he doesn't wear them) he either has to tilt his head when looking at someone or get lower than them so he can look up at them. Check out a few publicity shots and you'll see what I mean about the peering upwards.
All of this creates some really interesting body postures as part of the character - including the looking off in the distance when talking to someone (its easier than having to fight to focus and get a headache).
In my little honest opinion that's why he stopped doing close work in the lab several seasons ago. While they (the directors and camera people) are however managing to cover it better and better these days and you don't see it so obviously on screen he's getting older and the far-sight is getting worse making it harder on the poor gent.
What he really needs is prescription varifocal lenses in those famous shades - but then being a sufferer of a version of what he has (I am exotropic hypertropic) he's my hero for getting on in life with the complaint.
